Catalan filmmaker Pere Vilà Barceló joins us as we continue our coverage of the Crystal Globe Competition at the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. We talk about his latest film “When The River Becomes A Sea” starring Claud Hernández.
The curators at Karlovy Vary describe it as “ An uncompromising, introspective probe into the soul of a girl who is sexually abused. The heroine of his sixth film is Gaia, a young archaeology student, whose relationship with herself, and with those around her, is forever marked by a traumatic event. Initially, Gaia cannot find the words to describe her situation, let alone the courage to speak about it. Eventually, however – like an archaeological excavation – she begins to uncover fragments of the past in order to piece her life together. The Catalan filmmaker was able to provide a realistic depiction of her situation by choosing to emphasize the actual process of coping with the trauma, a process which can't be rushed.”
Pere is willing to take some interesting risks as a director including a six plus minute scene shot entirely in darkness. The result is stunning.
Pere is walking a fine line using cinema to illicit a discussion on sexual assault. He navigates the challenge with grace and delivers a beautiful and thoughtful film.
You can check out the trailer here: When A River Becomes The Sea